Our summer of excessive heat warnings has finally come to an end, and we find ourselves greeted with autumnal trees and crisp, cold air. Fall is a time for delicious and warm homemade recipes. This year more than ever, everyone is searching for a little extra comfort, and look no further than your own kitchen! You’ll find these comfort foods outside the realm of your normal rotation, and you’ll find a recipe fit for everyone with many of them being gluten free, vegan, and nut free—all of them delicious. Happy cooking!
Pumpkin Tofu Curry (gluten free, vegan, nut free)
What You’ll Need:
1 block of extra firm tofu
1/2 can pumpkin puree
1 can coconut milk
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp canola oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 thumb ginger, grated
2 jalapenos, diced
1 tbsp yellow curry powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp salt
1 orange bell pepper
Optional: 1 cup brown or white rice for serving
How to Cook:
Press tofu for one hour (if you don’t have a tofu press, you can put it between two plates and under something heavy, such as a few cans).
In a large pan, saute onion with canola oil, garlic, bell peppers and jalapenos for 6 minutes until fragrant.
Chop tofu into cubes and add to the pan (can add additional oil if needed) and cook for 5 minutes or until tofu appears crispy on the outside.
Add spices and ginger and allow to cook for one additional minute.
Add pumpkin puree and coconut milk and simmer for 15 minutes.
Serve over rice or with extra vegetables.
Cheesy Marinara Pasta With Turkey (nut free)
What You’ll Need:
1 box spaghetti noodles of choice
1 bottle marinara sauce of choice
1 tbsp olive oil (more as needed)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
½ large Onion, diced
16oz ground turkey
½ cup Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp heavy cream
How To Cook:
Fill a medium sized pot with water, add a pinch of salt, and turn on high.
In a large pan, heat to medium high heat and add onion, garlic, and olive oil. Cook for 3-5 minutes, until golden and fragrant.
Once pasta water boils, add noodles and cook as directed on the box.
Turn heat down to medium and add ground turkey, and extra olive oil if needed.
Break apart the turkey into fine pieces with a spatula and stir, cooking for 6-10 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meat reaches 165°F.
Add marinara sauce, parmesan cheese and cream, and allow to simmer for 5 minutes.
Serve sauce over noodles and garnish with additional parmesan.
Homemade Hot Chocolate (gluten free, nut free)
What You’ll Need:
1 1/2 cups milk
½ cup heavy cream (for less creamy hot chocolate, can substitute for equal amount milk of choice)
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp white sugar
2 squares milk chocolate (approximately 2 tbsp)
½ tsp vanilla extract
In a small pot, add all ingredients and whisk together on low heat. Make sure not to bring to a boil!
Continue whisking until chocolate has melted and all ingredients have combined, then serve in festive mugs and top with whipped cream and marshmallows.
One Pot Vegan Chili (gluten free, vegan, nut free)
What You’ll Need:
½ cup textured vegetable protein (TVP)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
2 jalapenos, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp chili powder
¼ tsp salt
½ cup red lentils, rinsed
1 can kidney beans
1 can black beans
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth
How To Cook:
Rehydrate TVP by combining with ½ cup boiling broth in a bowl and set aside.
Heat a large pot on medium heat and add the onion along with 1 tbsp of olive oil and allow to cook for 5 minutes.
Add garlic, bell pepper and jalapenos to the pot with the remaining 1 tbsp of oil and allow to cook for 3 more minutes.
Add spices to the pot along with the TVP and cook for 1 minute.
Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.
Simmer without a lid for 30 minutes.
Optional: serve with brown rice and guacamole!
